Labor groups rally at Johns Hopkins Hospital against medical debt lawsuits

BALTIMORE (AP) — Labor groups have held a rally at Johns Hopkins Hospital to urge hospital officials not to sue low-income patients for medical debt and to let nurses unionize.

Labor leaders spoke from a stage on a hot July afternoon Saturday in Baltimore near the hospital.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke at the event, as well as Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and National Nurses United Executive Director Bonnie Castillo.

They called on Johns Hopkins to cancel all medical debt lawsuits filed against low-income patients. They say the hospital has filed more than 2,400 lawsuits in Maryland courts seeking payment of alleged medical debt from former patients since 2009.

They also called on the hospital to respect the rights of registered nurses to unionize with the National Nurses Organizing Committee.

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